How I Chose Our Windows and Doors

There were originally 2 windows in our cottage, but they were a little small. I wanted bigger windows because I like a lot of natural light!

As you already know, we like to repurpose when we can, so we originally planned to put one of these windows in the bathroom. One thing led to another and we never installed a bathroom window. Now that the exterior is done, we decided that we will just put the old windows in the chicken coop instead. 

 

I got 3 windows for the house-- 1 in the kitchen, 1 in the living room, and 1 in the bedroom. They’re all the same exact window. In my research, I discovered that “low-e” glass is an energy efficient type of glass that helps keep hot or cold weather out of your house. When I was looking through the different types of windows on the Lowe’s website, I saw specifications for each window, just like you’d see on anything you buy online. The window specs showed things like size and the material it is made of, but it also showed its Energy Star rating. This is categorized by zones such as north, north-central, central, south, etc. So I chose windows that were Energy Star rated for our zone!

If we weren’t on a tight budget, I would have gotten casement windows. These are the windows that push outwards when you turn a handle. I’ve always thought they were cool and seem easy to keep clean. I’ve had sliding windows (that slide sideways to open) in the past and found that they were extremely hard to keep clean. Mold always grew in the sliding track and I could never get it out. The 3 windows I got for our cottage slide up to open, so cleaning them should be fine, and they were decently priced. Furthermore, if we weren’t construction newbies, I might have gotten an interesting shaped window, like a hexagon or something. I had a dream once that we had a wall of windows that looked like honeycomb (several little hexagon windows), so yeah, we’ll be doing that in the future. 

These are definitely not the best windows out there. You have to pinch 2 metal pieces to be able to slide the window up and it doesn’t feel super sturdy. They’ll be fine for us, but I probably wouldn’t use these windows again in a future house build because of that mechanism. I would rather just push up to open the window. 

So that’s how I chose our windows! Now on to doors...

Doors are expensive! The most plain doors did not have any windows or even a spot for a deadbolt. Exterior doors are made of steel to withstand the elements and I was unsure if we could even drill our own deadbolt hole. Now I know that we definitely could have done it without a problem. I knew I wanted a window on the door to help add some natural light. We have 2 exterior doors in the house, one for the front and one for the side. I got the same door for both places. The glass in the door is also low-E glass! I made sure to look for that when I chose the doors.

Other than that, I just chose the cheapest door that had a window and a deadbolt hole. I love the doors I picked and I think they look really good on the cottage! The grid window gives the cottage the perfect quaint look that I wanted! 

I wanted black door knobs for the doors. I chose the cheapest ones I found. They were actually the same price as the typical silver and gold ones. I love the way they look! I even installed the front one entirely by myself! 

Overall, I’m pleased with all of my selections!